I admit, it was a bit cheesy to start this post about Cleveland's grilled cheese sensation "Melt Bar & Grilled" with a line from that tubular 80's song. And it was even more cheesy for me to describe it as "cheesy." But everyone loves cheese! Which is what makes "Melt" such a smashing (seemingly overnight) success! Melt has taken our favorite childhood food staple and revoluntionized it! What used to be nothing more than two pieces of Wonderbread, a slice of Kraft Singles American cheese, and a side some Campbell's tomato soup has now become an artform with dozens and dozens of creative, wacky and delicious fixings.

Melt is constantly packed. Your wait at any given time is surely a minimum of an hour. That's if you're lucky. I have attempted to go to Melt with a group of 8 and was slapped with a whopping 3 hour wait. I've heard horror stories of people waiting up to 5 hours to hook their tastebuds up with gooey goodness. But, to them, it's anything but a horror story. These folks clamor that the wait is 100% worth it. Not everyone has that kind of time on their hands (me included), and so heading to Melt takes some preparation. Just make sure you have a couple of hours carved out of your day and you should be set. The smaller your group, the more likely you'll get in quicker. My successful trip to Melt was with a group of 4 and we were able to snag some stools at the bar after just a few minutes of waiting! This was a win/win situation, because I feel eating at the bar is even more fun than at a table!

The drink menu is massive. It's chock full of tons of local and import beers, wines and liquors, from the well-known to the obscure.

Parma, Italy (Photo by OHventures)

The real fun, of course, is deciding which of the masterpiece grilled cheese sandwiches you will choose for your dining experience at Melt. It took me a long while to sift through the mounting menu of mouthwatering choices (printed on the reverse of old album sleeves), but I ultimately went with the "Parma, Italy" (pictured above) which consisted of breaded chicken, provolone, garlic, and roasted red pepper pesto. It was everything I could ask for and more. The sides of sea-salted fries and cold and spicy coleslaw added to the perfection.

My choice was one of the more tamer of sandwiches that are available at Melt. I nearly ordered the "Parmageddon" which included 2 cheese and potato pierogis, sauerkraut, cheddar cheese and onions, and leaned also toward "The Godfather" that had three-cheese lasagna, provolone and red sauce. Not your typical grilled cheese sandwiches!

Fellow diners in my party ordered the "Purple Parma" (eggplant, tomato, pesto and provolone), the "BBQ Chicken" and the "Chorizo and Potato." All were satisfied with their choices, with the eggplant getting the most praise of all.

Other menu highlights include grilled cheese burgers, The Lake Erie Monster (walleye on a grilled cheese), Municipal Stadium Magic (bratwurst on a grilled cheese), The Dude Abides (meatballs and mozzarella sticks on a grilled cheese), and The Northcoast Shores (crab cakes on a grilled cheese). What's also fun is that they do provide the option of getting a traditional grilled cheese for the non-adventure seeker; and the option of taking the "5 Pound Challenge" that was taken when the television show "Man V. Food" was filmed at Melt.

You will surely be stuffed after any item you order here, but if you somehow have a bit of room for dessert, go for the Fried Twinkies! You might have trouble walking out of the place due to the inevitable food baby you'll be carrying, but believe me, this is a dining discovery you will be dreaming about for years to come!